[meteorite-list] NASA Announces Key Genesis Science Collectors in Excellent Shape

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Apr 20 17:06:37 2005
Message-ID: <200504202105.j3KL5vf04364_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

Dolores Beasley
Headquarters, Washington April 20, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1753)

William Jeffs
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

Nancy Ambrosiano
Los Alamos National Laboratory, N.M.
(Phone: 505/667-0471)

RELEASE: 05-102

NASA ANNOUNCES KEY GENESIS SCIENCE COLLECTORS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE

Scientists have closely examined four Genesis spacecraft collectors,
vital to the mission's top science objective, and found them in
excellent shape, despite the spacecraft's hard landing last year.

Scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston removed
the four solar-wind collectors from an instrument called the
concentrator. The concentrator targets collected solar-oxygen ions
during the Genesis mission. Scientists will analyze them to measure
solar-oxygen isotopic composition, the highest-priority measurement
objective for Genesis. The data may hold clues to increase
understanding about how the solar system formed.

"Taking these concentrator targets out of their flight holders and
getting our first visual inspection of them is very important,"
said Karen McNamara, Genesis curation recovery lead. "This step is
critical to moving forward with the primary science Genesis was
intended to achieve. All indications are the targets are in
excellent condition. Now we will have the opportunity to show
that quantitatively. The preliminary assessment of these materials
is the first step to their allocation and measurement of the
composition of the solar wind," she said.

The targets were removed at JSC by a team from Los Alamos National
Laboratory, Los Alamos, N.M., where the concentrator was designed
and built.

"Finding these concentrator targets in excellent condition after
the Genesis crash was a real miracle," said Roger Wiens,
principal investigator for the Los Alamos instruments. "It raised
our spirits a huge amount the day after the impact. With the
removal of the concentrator targets this week, we are getting
closer to learning what these targets will tell us about the sun
and our solar system," he added.

The Los Alamos team was assisted by JSC curators and Quality
Assurance personnel from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, Calif. Curators at JSC will examine the targets and
prepare a detailed report about their condition, so scientists
can properly analyze the collectors. The targets will be imaged
in detail and then stored under nitrogen in the Genesis clean
room.

Genesis was launched Aug. 8, 2001, from Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station, Fla., on a mission to collect solar wind
particles. Sample collection began Dec. 5, 2001, and was
completed April 1, 2004. After an extensive recovery effort,
following its Sept. 8, 2004, impact at a Utah landing site,
the first scientific samples from Genesis arrived at JSC
Oct. 4, 2004.

Still imagery of scientists removing the concentrator targets
is available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/genesis/multimedia/gen_team_images.html

Video to accompany this release will air on the NASA TV Video
File at 3 p.m. EDT today.

NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the
continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72
degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz.
Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.
It's available in Alaska and Hawaii on AMC-7, Transponder 18C,
C-Band, at 137 degrees west longitude. The frequency is
4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural
at 6.80 MHz.

For more information about the Genesis mission on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/genesis


-end-
Received on Wed 20 Apr 2005 05:05:57 PM PDT